Independent Financial Group LLC Purchases Shares of 9,399 Waste Management, Inc. $WM

Key Points

• Independent Financial Group LLC opened a new position in Waste Management during the first quarter, buying 9,399 shares worth about $2.16 million.
• Waste Management reported better-than-expected quarterly earnings of $1.81 per share, topping estimates, while revenue rose 3.5% year over year to $6.23 billion.
• The company also paid a quarterly dividend of $0.945 per share, equal to an annualized yield of about 1.6%, and analysts remain broadly positive with a Moderate Buy consensus target of $256.70.

Independent Financial Group LLC acquired a new position in Waste Management, Inc. (NYSE:WM - Free Report) during the first quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The firm acquired 9,399 shares of the business services provider's stock, valued at approximately $2,160,000.

A number of other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Enterprise Financial Services Corp grew its stake in Waste Management by 30.3% during the first quarter. Enterprise Financial Services Corp now owns 1,420 shares of the business services provider's stock worth $326,000 after buying an additional 330 shares during the period. Delta Financial Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of Waste Management during the 1st quarter valued at $207,000. Wealthfront Advisers LLC boosted its position in Waste Management by 31.6% during the 1st quarter. Wealthfront Advisers LLC now owns 82,755 shares of the business services provider's stock worth $19,016,000 after purchasing an additional 19,869 shares during the period. D.A. Davidson & CO. increased its holdings in Waste Management by 1.4% in the 1st quarter. D.A. Davidson & CO. now owns 104,431 shares of the business services provider's stock valued at $23,997,000 after purchasing an additional 1,487 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Journey Advisory Group LLC raised its position in Waste Management by 0.7% in the first quarter. Journey Advisory Group LLC now owns 36,723 shares of the business services provider's stock valued at $8,439,000 after purchasing an additional 261 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 80.40% of the company's stock.

Waste Management Trading Down 1.1%

NYSE:WM opened at $239.50 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.22, a quick ratio of 0.89 and a current ratio of 0.93. Waste Management, Inc. has a one year low of $194.11 and a one year high of $248.13. The business's 50-day simple moving average is $222.20 and its 200 day simple moving average is $226.50. The stock has a market cap of $96.18 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 34.66, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.91 and a beta of 0.44.

Waste Management (NYSE:WM - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, April 28th. The business services provider reported $1.81 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $1.75 by $0.06. Waste Management had a return on equity of 31.90% and a net margin of 10.99%.The firm had revenue of $6.23 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.28 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $1.67 EPS. Waste Management's quarterly revenue was up 3.5% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, sell-side analysts predict that Waste Management, Inc. will post 8.16 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Waste Management Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, June 18th. Stockholders of record on Friday, June 5th were given a dividend of $0.945 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, June 5th. This represents a $3.78 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.6%. Waste Management's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 54.70%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities research analysts have recently weighed in on WM shares. Scotiabank upped their target price on Waste Management from $250.00 to $260.00 and gave the stock a "sector perform" rating in a research report on Thursday. Royal Bank Of Canada boosted their price target on Waste Management from $235.00 to $240.00 and gave the stock a "sector perform" rating in a research report on Thursday, April 30th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their price target on Waste Management from $265.00 to $270.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a report on Friday, April 10th. Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce upgraded shares of Waste Management from a "hold" rating to an "outperformer" rating and set a $244.00 price objective on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, July 7th. Finally, Citigroup boosted their target price on shares of Waste Management from $263.00 to $269.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Friday, July 10th. Sixteen analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and seven have assigned a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $256.70.

Trending Headlines about Waste Management

Here are the key news stories impacting Waste Management this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Scotiabank raised Waste Management’s price target to $260 from $250, suggesting continued upside potential despite maintaining a “sector perform” view.
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst commentary highlighted WM’s strong waste collection network, pricing power, and acquisition strategy as supports for growth and margins.
• Neutral Sentiment: Erste Group Bank trimmed its FY2026 EPS estimate to $8.16 from $8.17, a very small revision that matches the current consensus estimate.
• Neutral Sentiment: Erste Group also nudged FY2027 EPS down to $9.20 from $9.23, another modest cut that does not materially change the long-term earnings outlook.
• Negative Sentiment: Analyst notes pointed to WM’s high debt load and slower stock momentum as ongoing concerns that could weigh on investor sentiment.

About Waste Management

Waste Management, Inc NYSE: WM is a leading provider of integrated waste management and environmental services in North America. The company offers end-to-end solutions that span collection, transfer, disposal and recycling, along with landfill operations and related infrastructure. Headquartered in Houston, Texas, Waste Management serves a broad customer base that includes residential, commercial, industrial and municipal clients.

Core services include curbside and commercial waste collection, roll-off and temporary container services, materials recovery and recycling, and engineered landfill disposal.

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